Week of 12 Pentecost - C - August 15 - 21, 2010

Week of 12 Pentecost - C

This is a Three-Year Lectionary based on the Lutheran Book of Worship 3-year Lectionary (for public worship), "Prayers of the Day..." (Propers), p. 13-41, Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, 1978. It is based, with only minor variations, on the Revised Common Lectionary, used by many denominations, including the Episcopal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Methodist churches:

http://www.commontexts.org/

and:

http://www.commontexts.org/rcl/usage.html

The daily readings are the Propers (Lections) for the following Sunday, so that the daily devotions can prepare us for worship. Additional Lections are from Common Service Book of the Lutheran Church, "Scripture lessons for Matins and Vespers," United Lutheran Church of America, General Rubrics VIII. Scripture lessons for Matins and Vespers, p. 299 - 304, Philadelphia, 1918.

The previous 2- year Bible Study based on the Lutheran Book of Worship, Daily Lectionary for personal devotions p.179-192, Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, 1978, is available at:

http://shepboy.snow.prohosting.com (Please bookmark this link).

Journalspace.com, my former 'blog host is being reorganized under new ownership. I no longer publish there. I have also lost mypodcast.com, my podcast host. This 'blog is mirrored at:

http://shepboy.multiply.com/

.mp3 Podcasts via Linux Festival text-to-speech and Panopreter Basic text-to-speech are available at:

http://shepboy.snow.prohosting.com/dw_bible2/C%20Year/wklx_c.html

Please Note: I will post weekly by Saturday, noon, (God willing), Pacific time (UTC-8:00) for the week of the Church Season which begins on Sunday. Please scroll down for the desired day, or save the week to your desktop/hard drive.

This entry is a test incorporating the texts with the citations, useful, I hope, to readers, and particularly valuable to podcast listeners.

Podcast Download: Week of - 12 Pentecost - C

Sunday - 12 Pentecost - C
First Posted August 15, 2010;
Podcast: Sunday - 12 Pentecost - C

Genesis 15:1-6 – The Covenant with Abraham;
Psalm 33 – Praise to Our Creator;
Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16 – Examples of Faith;
Luke 12:32-40 – On Watchfulness;

Genesis Paraphrase:

After Abraham (Abram) had rescued his nephew, Lot, from King Chedorlaomer and his three allies (Genesis 14:1-16), and his encounter with Melchizedek, King of Salem and Priest of God (Genesis 14:17-24), Abraham had a vision through which he received the Word of God. God promised to be Abraham's shield, and that Abraham's reward would be very great. But Abraham asked the Lord what the Lord would give him, since he was still childless, and his only heir would be his slave and steward, Eliezer of Damascus. But the Lord promised that Abraham's own son, not Eliezer, would be his heir. Then the Lord took him outside and showed him the night sky. The Lord told Abraham that his descendants would be as vastly innumerable as the stars in the sky. “And he believed the Lord; and he [the Lord] reckoned it to him as righteousness” (Genesis 15:6).

Psalm Paraphrase:

Let the righteous rejoice in the Lord! The praise of the upright is fitting. Let us praise the Lord with the accompaniment of stringed instruments. Sing to him a new song with skillful stringed accompaniment, and with loud shouts! The Lord's Word is upright, and all his deeds are done in faithfulness. He delights in righteousness and justice, and the Lord's steadfast love fills the earth.

The heavens were made by the Lord's Word; by his breath all the living creatures were created. He restrained the waters as in a bottle, and the deeps as in storehouses.

Fear the Lord, all the earth; let everyone on earth be in awe of him! What he spoke came into existence; at his command it stood forth. He brings to nothing, all the counsel of the nations; he frustrates the peoples' plans. The Lord's counsel stands for ever. His meditations will endure through all generations. “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage” (Psalm 33:12). From heaven the Lord sees all the descendants of mankind. From his throne he looks forth upon all the inhabitants of the earth, and sees their deeds. “A king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. The war horse is a vain hope for victory, and by its great might it cannot save” (Psalm 33:16-17).

Look and see, the Lord watches over those who fear him and rely on his steadfast love, in order to deliver their souls from death and sustain them during famine.

The Lord is our help and shield; let our souls wait patiently for the Lord. Let us trust in his holy name (his total person and character), so that we can rejoice in him. May his steadfast love be upon us as we hope in him.

Hebrews Paraphrase:

One aspect of faith is confidence that we will receive what we hope for, the certainty of things unseen. Our forefathers received the Lord's approval because they had faith in him. By faith, we believe that the universe was created by God's Word. What is visible has been created from what is unseen.

When the Lord called Abraham to go to a place he had never seen, which was going to be his inheritance, he obeyed, not knowing where he was going. He lived in tents in the land like a sojourner, with his son Isaac and grandson Jacob, who were his heirs, because he anticipated the (heavenly) city, built on foundations (unlike tents). Because Sarah believed that the Lord is faithful, she received the ability to conceive and bear a child after she was past the age of childbearing. So from one old man (and woman) near the ends of their lives, were born descendants as numerous as the stars in heaven, or the grains of sand on the beach.

These all died in faith, not having received what had been promised, but having seen and greeted it in a vision of the future. They acknowledged that they were just passing through in this world, and were seeking a better homeland. They could have returned to their ancestral home if they had chosen to, but they sought a better, heavenly, homeland. So the Lord is not ashamed to be their God, and he has prepared an eternal city for them.

Luke Paraphrase:

Jesus told his disciples not to be afraid, because it is God the Father's pleasure to give them the kingdom of heaven. We should sell [excess] possessions, and make donations for the poor. Then we will have purses that don't wear out and heavenly bank accounts that do not fail, where there are no thieves, and there is no wasting away as by moth. Our hearts will be tied down wherever we store our treasure.

We must be prepared, like servants waiting for their master's return from a wedding banquet, clothed and with lamps lit, so that they can open the door immediately when he comes and knocks. Those servants will be blessed, and their master will serve them their dinner. If he comes in the middle of the night (between 9:00 pm and 3:00 am), and finds them ready, they will be blessed. But remember that if a homeowner knew when a thief was coming, he would be prepared and would not let his house be broken into and robbed. So we also must be ready, because because Christ's return will be at an hour we do not expect.

Commentary:

God had promised to make of Abraham's descendants a great nation, and promised to give his descendants a country for their inheritance (Genesis 12:1-3). Abraham went to the new land God showed him and was now living in the Promised Land as a foreigner, without possessing the land, and he still had no heir to inherit the promise. The Lord reaffirmed his promise to Abraham and gave him a “visual aid:” the stars of the night sky.

God's Word is absolutely faithful and true. In fact, the test of God's Word is its fulfillment (Deuteronomy 18:21-22). God wants us to trust his Word, in the Bible, and in Jesus Christ, the “living Word” (John 1:1-5, 14) so that he can show us his faithfulness, and thereby cause our faith in him to grow.

God doesn't always fulfill his promises immediately. We need to learn to wait patiently for his fulfillment. It is a lesson we need to practice and learn by experience.

The only real security we can have in this world is faith (obedient trust in the Lord. No matter what we do, we cannot protect ourselves against every worldly trouble. Security always requires more material and human resources than we possess. In Jesus Christ, we can be assured that he can bring us through whatever befalls us, even physical death. He wants us to rely on him so that we can learn that he is powerful and able and willing to deliver us from every trial. As we put our faith and hope in him we will personally experience his steadfast love.

Faith is not getting whatever we believe if we believe “hard enough.” Faith is obedient trust in God's Word. As we do so we will grow in confidence in his Word. The kingdom of God is all around us, unseen. We are unable to see it except by faith (1 Corinthians 2:12-14). The Lord is near to each one of us, and he promises that when we begin to trust and obey him, he will reveal himself to us (John 14:15-17). We can't see him physically, but we can experience him spiritually, and know with certainty that he is the risen and ascended Jesus (1 John 4:1-2).

When I was first learning to walk with the Lord I had to learn to give up worldly confidence and worldly security. We're so used to instant answers and information by phone or computer; it is hard to wait for the Lord to answer. I had to resist phoning my pastor for advice so that I could receive the Lord's guidance.

Some things the Lord may lead us to do seem contrary to worldly wisdom, like when Abraham obeyed the Lord to leave his ancestral home to go to a new, unknown land. Please note that the Lord will never ask us to do anything to harm ourselves or others; if you think he is, you got it wrong! He isn't going to tell us to throw ourselves in front of a bus, for instance. But we need to learn from experience that his guidance is trustworthy and true.

Many, particularly in America, have closets, garages and storage lockers full of stuff they don't use or need, while others are doing without. At times I have felt really burdened with possessions that were deteriorating or were no longer useful. Have a garage sale; donate to Church-run charities. God created this world with enough resources for everyone. The reason for poverty is unjust distribution of resources. Some have more than they need; while others lack.

Jesus has promised to return and take his disciples to be with him forever in his eternal kingdom (1 Thessalonians 4:15-18). We should be ready for his return at any moment.

I truly believe that Christ's return is imminent. America and the American Church are the New Israel, the New Promised Land, and the New Jerusalem, the New City of God on earth. America and the nominal Church, at least in America are in much the same position as Israel and Judaism at the time of Christ's first coming. The temple had been corrupted by secular interests (Luke 19:45-46); the priests and leaders had forgotten they were to be stewards of God's people, and the priesthood had become a means of social status and power (Luke 20:46-47).

In many nominal churches today, ministry is a “career choice,” and churches are being run as personal empires for the leadership, for status and power. In too many instances secular influences have invaded the Church. America and the Church are urgently in need of revival. If Christ returns right now, are we any more ready for his return than the Jews were prepared for his first coming?

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Monday - 12 Pentecost - C
First Posted August 16, 2010;
Podcast: Monday - 12 Pentecost - C

Psalm 82 – God's Judgment on Idolatry;

Background:

In antiquity it was believed that the earth was ruled by a council of gods. The psalmist visualized the Lord God standing in the midst of the council and judging the other members for ruling unjustly.

Psalm Paraphrase:

In the midst of the divine council, God has declared judgment on the others for judging unjustly and showing partiality to the wicked.

Let the rulers of earth give justice to the weak and fatherless, and uphold the rights of the afflicted and destitute. May they rescue the weak and needy and deliver them from the power of the wicked.

All the rulers of earth are children of God; God's Word declares them gods (idols; compare John 10:34). They will all die like any other people, and will fall like any other prince.

“Arise, O God, judge the earth; for to thee belong all the nations” (Psalm 82:8)

Commentary:

The world is ruled by a council of “gods.” Satan is present ruler of this world. Earthly rulers are regarded as above ordinary people, but they are children of God because he is their Creator. They are all mortal; the Lord is the one and only true God.

Earthly leaders will ultimately be accountable to God for their performance of their duties. I don't have to look very far to find leaders who show partiality to the wicked and deny justice to the poor, weak and afflicted.

They have power and wealth now for a short time, but they will ultimately be accountable to God. Note well that those leaders who have shown partiality to the rich and powerful, and have denied justice to the poor, weak and afflicted will be condemned to eternal destruction in Hell with all evil. That includes governors and legislators who deny healthcare and financial aid to poor and disadvantaged children!

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Tuesday - 12 Pentecost - C
First Posted August 17, 2010;
Podcast: Tuesday - 12 Pentecost - C

Jeremiah 23:23-29 – False Prophets;

Paraphrase:

God is both the God who is nearby, but also the God who is omnipresent (present everywhere at once), so there is nowhere one can go that God can't find and see him. God's presence fills heaven and earth. God is aware of the prophets who tell lies in his name, saying that they have had divine revelation in a dream! How long will lying prophets continue to prophesy lies from their deceitful hearts; who think they can cause God's people to forget God's name (his whole character and person), like their fathers who forgot the name of God in exchange for Ba'al?

Let the prophet who has had a dream tell his dream, but let the prophet who has the Word of God declare it faithfully. The prophet's messages will be like straw compared with wheat. God's Word is like fire and like a sledgehammer which breaks rock!

Commentary:

We cannot do anything that we know is wrong and hope that God won't find out. God knows the inner motives of our hearts. We can fool people by outward appearance, but we can't fool God.

The Word of God is unlike the word of mankind. God's Word has creative power (Genesis 1:3). “The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). Jesus is the Word of God, fulfilled, embodied and exemplified in human flesh in this world (John 1:1-5, 14). Jesus' word is the Word of God, with the creative power of God's Word (Mark 4:39-41; Compare Genesis 1: 9).

Jesus is Truth (John 14:6). We cannot come to Jesus without being truthful, inwardly and outwardly. Often we don't want to acknowledge, confess, and hear truth, but unless we do we cannot receive Jesus.

There are many false prophets in the world today (Matthew 24:24; 1 John 4:1). Paul prophesied that the time would come when people would not endure sound teaching, but would choose to be taught by teachers who would make them feel good about themselves (2 Timothy 4:3-4). That time has long since come!

The difference between the Word of God and the imagination of false prophets is like wheat and straw, but can we tell the difference? Straw would make one feel full, but has no nutritional value, and cannot sustain life, whereas one can live on wheat. Are we willing to hear truth even if it makes us uncomfortable?

There are plenty of examples of “prophets” in the nominal Church today who tell “dreams,” to make people “feel good.” There are many examples of nominal church “members” who have the outward appearance, but not the inner commitment, of discipleship by Jesus Christ.

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Wednesday - 12 Pentecost - C
First Posted August 18, 2010;
Podcast: Wednesday - 12 Pentecost - C

Hebrews 12:1-13 – Spiritual Discipline;

Paraphrase:

We are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses, an audience of those believers who have successfully competed in discipleship before us (Hebrews 11:1-40). Now we are like athletes competing for a goal, so we must put aside those things which would interfere with our performance, and pursue with perseverance the testing which has been given us.

Let us keep our eyes upon Jesus who is the pioneer (the one who showed us the way) and perfecter of (who demonstrated perfect) faith (spiritual maturity). He despised the shame of the cross, but he endured it because of the glory that was to be his through it. As the result, he has been enthroned in heaven at the right hand of God. Let us remember the hatred that he endured. Then we, by comparison, will not get tired or give up. After all, we have not resisted to the point of actually shedding our own blood.

And don't forget that God's Word addresses us a sons. The anonymous author of this Letter to the Hebrews quotes Proverbs 3:11-12, teaching that God's discipline and punishment is that of a loving father intended to bring us to spiritual maturity.

We must endure for the sake of discipline. God is treating us as his children. What good earthly father doesn't discipline his children? We have all participated in discipline; if we go undisciplined then we are illegitimate, not true children of God. Our earthly fathers disciplined us and we respected them. Shouldn't we be much more subject to our spiritual father and have eternal life? Our earthly fathers disciplined us for a short time as they pleased, but God disciplines us for our good, so that we can share in his holiness. At the time all discipline is painful; but eventually it results in righteousness in people who are trained by it.

“Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your week knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed” (Hebrews 12:12-13).

Commentary:

A Christian is by definition a disciple of Jesus Christ (Acts 11:26c). Discipleship involves discipline. We must be willing to give up what we want, in order to do what the Lord wants us to do.

Disciples are like athletes in training. We must be willing to give up anything that will interfere with our performance. Discipleship requires effort and endurance in order to reach the goal and win the reward.

Jesus is our “Coach.” He underwent the same discipline we face, but to the maximum extreme, and he won the championship! The testing we face is not nearly as difficult as his. We can trust his guidance and follow his example of submission to discipline and his perseverance. When we experience suffering and abuse for the sake of the Gospel, let us remember what Jesus suffered. Then our own suffering will be endurable and we will persevere.

Disciples are like athletes, performing in the world arena, surrounded by a crowd of fans and spectators. Our fans are those disciples who have successfully competed in discipleship before us. Worldly spectators may “boo” and taunt us, but our fans cheer us on.

When I first was learning to be a disciple, I became involved in Social Ministry (concern for the poor and needy) in my congregation, and conducted a back-to-school free clothing exchange. As we set up and opened, I had the distinct sensation of being watched and rooted for by a cloud of successful disciples who had gone on to heaven.

When we accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord we become adopted children of God. Discipleship is the process by which we are taught to be God's children. Discipleship is not optional. We either are disciples, or we are illegitimate; “church members,” perhaps, but not authentic Christians.

Unfortunately in many nominal Churches today including mainline denominations, these Churches have failed to make disciples, and have settled for making "members." In fact, some Churches have actually discouraged discipleship by teaching what Dietrich Bonhoeffer called "Cheap Grace:" The teaching of Salvation by Grace (unmerited favor; which is true), but without the requirement of discipleship and obedient trust in Jesus' teachings (which is false). Some Churches actually discourage their members from seeking spiritual "rebirth" by the baptism of the Holy Spirit, by teaching that the Holy Spirit is automatically conferred at water baptism; see False Teachings, "Cheap Grace" and Spiritual rebirth, sidebar, right).

The only way we can show love and gratitude to Jesus and God the Father for what they have done for us in Jesus Christ is by our obedient trust of God's Word in the Bible, and fulfilled, embodied, and exemplified in Jesus Christ (John 1:1-5, 14). Jesus taught that his disciples are those who do what he teaches (Luke 6:46; Matthew 7:21-27). Jesus promises to reveal himself to and abide with his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17; 21), and he does this by the “baptism” of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34).

By the baptism of the Holy Spirit, his disciples are “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) to eternal life. Then the indwelling Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the risen Jesus (Romans 8:9), “disciples” us to spiritual maturity. He helps us understand the Bible scriptures (Luke 24:32, 45). He teaches us all things and recalls to our memory all that Jesus taught during Jesus' physical ministry on earth (John 14:25-26). The Holy Spirit will help us to know and do God's will for us personally, will give us the resources to endure discipline and accomplish accomplish our mission in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Thursday - 12 Pentecost - C
First Posted August 19, 2010;
Podcast: Thursday - 12 Pentecost - C

Luke 12:49-53 – The End of the Age;

Paraphrase:

Jesus said that he had come to cast fire (judgment) upon the earth, and he wished that it had already begun. Jesus had a “baptism” (a commission; a command from God; his crucifixion) to be carried out, and he felt constrained (bound; having to endure trials) until his commission had been accomplished. Jesus knew and declared that his mission was not to bring peace on earth, but division. Households would be divided: some for and some against Jesus; father versus son, mother versus daughter, mother-in-law versus daughter-in-law.

Commentary:

Baptism is a covenant between the candidate and God. In infant baptism the covenant is between the parents and God on the candidate's behalf, to be “affirmed” (“confirmed”) by the candidate when the candidate reaches the age of informed consent.

Jesus did not baptize with water; only his disciples did (John 4:2). The Church is the heir to the water baptism of John the Baptizer, for repentance and spiritual cleansing, to prepare people to receive Jesus (John 3:1-6) by the “baptism” of the Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). By the baptism of the Holy Spirit we are spiritually “born-again” to eternal life. Jesus did not baptize with water; only his disciples did (John 4:2).

Jesus had to endure and persevere in excruciating (the word itself refers to) suffering of the cross, in order to fulfill the commission he had been given by God. There were many things that he personally would rather not have had to do, but he was obligated to fulfill God's will and commission.

Jesus knew that his coming would cause division even among the closest of relationships. The vast majority of his own people refused to welcome and receive him, and demanded his crucifixion (John 1:11; Matthew 27:23-25).

Worldly people hate Jesus because they do evil. Evil is anything contrary to God's Word. Evil is symbolized as spiritual darkness, and righteousness as light (John 3:19). Jesus' coming brought judgment upon the world (John 3:18). We judge ourselves by our response to Jesus.

We are all sinners and fall short of God's standard of righteousness (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10). The penalty for sin (disobedience of God's Word) is eternal death. Jesus is God's only provision for our forgiveness and salvation from eternal destruction. Only as we acknowledge our sinfulness can we receive the forgiveness and salvation which only Jesus provides (see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, right). The righteousness of Christ is attributed to us by God through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:21-22; 4:4-5).

Jesus has promised to return at the end of the age to judge the living (“quickened”) and the dead, in both physical and spiritual senses (John 5:28-29; 1 Peter 4:5). Those who have accepted Jesus as their Savior and Lord, and have trusted and obeyed his teachings will enter eternal life in heaven with Jesus. Those who have rejected Jesus as their Savior and Lord, who have refused or failed to trust and obey Jesus' teachings will be condemned to eternal death and destruction in hell with all evil (Matthew 25:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10).

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Friday - 12 Pentecost - C
First Posted August 20, 2010;
Podcast: Friday - 12 Pentecost - C

2 Corinthians 3:4-11-- New Covenant;

Paraphrase:

Paul's confidence in his ministry of the Gospel was from God through Jesus Christ. Paul didn't claim to be sufficient for the ministry in himself; his sufficiency was from God. It was God who qualified Paul to be a minister of a new covenant. The new covenant is not based on written laws, but upon the Spirit. The written law condemns us to [eternal] death, but the spirit gives [eternal] life.

If the giving of the law of death, carved in stone, came with so much splendor that Moses had to cover his face because of its radiance, although fading, won't the dispensation of the Spirit be accompanied by even greater splendor? If the dispensation of condemnation was accompanied by splendor, won't the dispensation of righteousness exceed it? In that case, what was once considered splendor will have no splendor, in comparison to the splendor which surpasses it. If what faded away was accompanied by splendor, what is unfading must have more splendor.

Commentary:

Paul (Saul of Tarsus) is deliberately intended by God to be the prototype and example of a modern, post-resurrection, “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) disciple (student) and apostle (messenger; of the Gospel) of Jesus Christ. Paul didn't decide on his own to become a minister of the Gospel, and he didn't learn the Gospel from men or receive authority from men to preach it (Galatians 1:11-12, 15-17). Paul received it directly from Jesus by the “dispensation” (gift; “anointing”) of the Holy Spirit upon him (Acts 9:1-22).

The Old Covenant (Testament) of Law was mediated by Moses (Moses was the intermediary between God and God's People), based on the Law which he received on stone tablets from God on Mt. Sinai (Mt. Horeb). No one can keep all the Law, all the time (James 2:10; Galatians 2:16), so the Old Covenant required constant sacrifices for the forgiveness of sin (disobedience of God's Word; the Law).

Jesus mediates the New Covenant (Testament) of Grace to be received by faith (obedient trust; Ephesians 2:8-9) in Jesus, which he initiated at the Last Supper, on the night of his betrayal and arrest (Matthew 26:26-28). Jesus' death on the cross, once for all time and all people willing to receive it by faith, is now the one and only sacrifice acceptable to God for the forgiveness of sin (see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, right, home.

The Lord's Supper was Jesus' last celebration of the Feast of Passover with his disciples. Jesus gave his body to provide the bread, and his blood marks us to be “passed over” by the destroying angel.

Jews were forbidden by the Law from drinking blood, or consuming flesh with its blood (Genesis 9:4). Blood was believed to contain the spirit, the life force, of the animal. The Lord doesn't want us to be filled with the spirit of animals; he wants us to be filled with his Holy Spirit. We are spiritually born-again to eternal life by the dispensation of the Holy Spirit upon us.

The blood sacrifice of Jesus on the cross makes it possible for us to be spiritually cleansed by faith, so that believers can individually and collectively become the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Only Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

To receive the Holy Spirit we must be committed to live according to his guidance. If we are obedient to the Holy Spirit, we are no longer obligated to the Law, because we will be able to fulfill the requirements of the Law not from fear but from love (Romans 8:1-11).

When Moses came from meeting with God, on the mountain, or at the tabernacle (portable temple), his face shone with the glory of God's presence, and the people were afraid to see it, so Moses put on a veil until the radiance faded (Exodus 34:33-35). By the Holy Spirit within born-again believers, we experience the presence and glory of God personally, and we reflect that unfading glory in our faces and in our lives.

Unfortunately, in parts of the nominal Church today, “ministry,” for some, is a career choice rather than the call of the Lord; they are learning their denominational “version” of the Gospel from men, and they must be “licensed” by Church headquarters in order to preach.

In too many instances the nominal Church has failed to make born-again disciples, and settled for making “members.” In some instances even in mainline denominations, the Church is actually discouraging its members from seeking spiritual rebirth (see False Teachings, sidebar, right, home). Churches who fail to make born-again disciples don't have any born-again candidates for ministry and leadership.

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Saturday - 12 Pentecost - C
First Posted August 21, 2010;
Podcast: Saturday - 12 Pentecost - C

Mark 7:31-37 – Healing;

Paraphrase:

Jesus had been in the region of Tyre and Sidon, cities on the coast of the Mediterranean in the Roman Province of Syria at the time. They returned and went to the region of Decapolis, a federation of ten cities east of the Jordan River in Northern Palestine. A man who was deaf and had a speech impediment was brought to Jesus for healing. Jesus took the man aside privately, put his fingers in the man's ears and spat and touched the man's tongue, and said “Ephphatha” the Aramaic world meaning, “Be opened,” The man's ears were opened and his tongue was released so that he spoke plainly. Jesus told the people not to tell anyone, but the more he commanded them, they proclaimed it all the more zealously. And the people were utterly astonished, and said that Jesus did everything well; he even heals the deaf and mute.

Commentary:

Jesus' miracles of physical healing, feeding, and resurrection were intended to show that he can also heal, feed and raise from the dead, spiritually. Jesus tried to heal quietly, away from the crowd, without sensationalizing the healing.

Huge crowds coming to Jesus were only interested in what Jesus could do for them physically (John 6:25-27), and the crowds were making it difficult for Jesus to carry out his mission of preaching the Gospel. Those who came to Jesus only for physical miracles received only that, and missed out on the spiritual healing, feeding and resurrection only Jesus can provide.

They wanted physical miracles, but they weren't committed to trusting and obeying Jesus. They thought they were doing God's will by proclaiming Jesus; they thought they knew better than Jesus what was good for Jesus' ministry.

A lot of people are like that today. They want the Lord to provide their requests, without being committed to trust and obey him (see Conditions for Answered Prayer, sidebar, right, home). Too often people think that because they want to do God's will, that whatever they decide to do is God's will. People may pray to discover God's will and then do whatever they think is right, without waiting for God to reveal it and guide them.

One of the main purposes of discipleship is learning to surrender our own wills, and to seek to know and do the Lord's will. We must learn to hear what the Lord says and wait for the Lord's guidance.

The place to start is with daily devotions, or “quiet time,” to read a portion of the Bible, with meditation and prayer. The Lord wants to reveal his will for us one day at a time (Matthew 6:11, 34), but only if we are committed to doing it. Why should he reveal his will to someone who is not going to do it?

The place to begin with Bible-reading is to read it entirely in small portions daily. There are numerous 1-year-Bible-reading plans available (see Bible Study Tools, sidebar, right, home). I recommend one which has both Old and New Testament readings daily. When we think we hear the Lord saying something directly to us, we should “pray it back,” to be sure we understand. Remember that the Lord will never ask us to do anything to harm ourselves or others.

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Week of 11 Pentecost - C - August 8 - 14, 2010

Week of 11 Pentecost - C

This is a Three-Year Lectionary based on the Lutheran Book of Worship 3-year Lectionary (for public worship), "Prayers of the Day..." (Propers), p. 13-41, Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, 1978. It is based, with only minor variations, on the Revised Common Lectionary, used by many denominations, including the Episcopal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Methodist churches:

http://www.commontexts.org/

and:

http://www.commontexts.org/rcl/usage.html

The daily readings are the Propers (Lections) for the following Sunday, so that the daily devotions can prepare us for worship. Additional Lections are from Common Service Book of the Lutheran Church, "Scripture lessons for Matins and Vespers," United Lutheran Church of America, General Rubrics VIII. Scripture lessons for Matins and Vespers, p. 299 - 304, Philadelphia, 1918.

The previous 2- year Bible Study based on the Lutheran Book of Worship, Daily Lectionary for personal devotions p.179-192, Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, 1978, is available at:

http://shepboy.snow.prohosting.com (Please bookmark this link).

Journalspace.com, my former 'blog host is being reorganized under new ownership. I no longer publish there. I have also lost mypodcast.com, my podcast host. This 'blog is mirrored at:

http://shepboy.multiply.com/

.mp3 Podcasts via Linux Festival text-to-speech and Panopreter Basic text-to-speech are available at:


http://shepboy.snow.prohosting.com/dw_bible2/C%20Year/wklx_c.html

Please Note: I will post weekly by Saturday, noon, (God willing), Pacific time (UTC-8:00) for the week of the Church Season which begins on Sunday. Please scroll down for the desired day, or save the week to your desktop/hard drive.

This entry is a test incorporating the texts with the citations, useful, I hope, to readers, and particularly valuable to podcast listeners.

Podcast Download: Week of 11 Pentecost - C
Sunday - 11 Pentecost - C
First Posted August 8, 2010;
Podcast: Sunday - 11 Pentecost - C

Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:18-26 – All is Vanity;
Psalm 49:1-11 – Transience of Life;
Colossians 3:1-11 – New Life in Christ;
Luke 12:13-21 – The Rich Fool;

Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:18-26 Paraphrase:

Everything in life in this world is vanity, insubstantial and fleeting, like a breath. We toil all our lives and the fruit of our labor passes on to someone who hasn't worked for it. Who knows whether he will be wise or a fool. Yet he will own everything our labor and wisdom has produced. One can despair at the fact that everything to which we have applied our strength, skill, wisdom, knowledge and labor to create will be enjoyed by someone who has not worked for it. That is vanity and a great wrong. What has a person to show for all his labor and strain? His labor is full of pain and frustration; even at night he can find no rest. All is in vain.

The best one can hope for is to enjoy food and drink and find enjoyment in his labor. And this is a gift from God, because apart from God, who can enjoy food and drink or his work? God gives wisdom, knowledge and joy to those who please him, but to those who displease him, he gives the work of gathering and storing, only to give his accumulation to others who please God. This is in vain, like trying to catch the wind.

Psalm 49:1-11 Paraphrase:

Listen, everyone! Hear, all people of the world, both rich and poor, great and lowly! I will speak wisdom and my heart's meditation will be understanding. I will listen to a proverb, and solve my riddle to the accompaniment of the harp.

In times of troubles, when the evil of my persecutors surrounds me, those who rely on their wealth and boast of their riches, why should I be afraid? No one is wealthy enough to ransom his life from the grave, or pay God for eternal life, because his life is precious beyond material riches.

We will see that even the wise die, along with the fools and the stupid; and all will leave their wealth to others. Though lands have been named after them, yet their graves will be their eternal homes. They cannot hold on to their worldly glory. Man is no better than an animal; both will perish.

The fate of those who have foolish confidence and are pleased with their worldly station is this: They are appointed for death just like sheep. Their shepherd is death. They will descend straight into the grave, where their bodies will rot. The land of the dead will be their eternal home. But God will ransom his people from the power of death, for he will welcome me (into his eternal kingdom).

Don't worry about the rich and famous. When they die they can take none of that with them. They will not retain wealth and glory in death. While they live they think themselves happy, and they are praised when they are successful, yet they will die and never again see light. The glory of man perishes with his death, like an animal.

Colossians 3:1-11 Paraphrase:

If we have been raised with Christ (by faith in the Lord) let us seek things that are eternal, where Christ reigns, in God's kingdom. So let us focus on heavenly things, not on what is earthly. So we must consider ourselves dead and entombed with Christ in God. When Christ appears, we will appear with him in glory. So let us put to death earthly things: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness (idolatry). The wrath of God is coming upon such things. We once lived according to such things, but now we must put them away from us: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and dirty talk. And let us not lie to one another; since we have put off the old (sinful) nature and have put on the new nature, in which we are being renewed by the knowledge of the likeness of our Creator. So there are no longer distinctions between Jew and Greek, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian and Scythian,* slave and free. Instead Christ is all-important and in all.

Luke 12:13-21Paraphrase:

A man, in the crowd gathered around Jesus, asked him to command the man's brother to share his inheritance with the man. But Jesus asked the man, who had appointed Jesus to be judge over the division of a worldly estate? Jesus warned the man to avoid all covetousness, because life does not consist of material possessions.

Jesus then told the Parable of the Rich Fool: A rich man had lands that produced abundant crops, and he realized that he needed more space to store them. He decided to tear down his barns and build bigger ones. Then he could retire and take it easy, living on what he had stored up. But God called him a fool, and declared that the rich man would die that very night and that someone else would inherit his wealth. This is the fate of those who store up material riches for themselves and are not rich in their love for God.

Commentary:

Many people in the world today are seeking security and success in all the wrong places. God's Word warns that security and success are not found in material riches and worldly acclaim. Is the meaning and purpose of life really to accumulate the most clothes before you die, as a bumper-sticker suggests?

I believe that the meaning and purpose of life is to seek, find and have fellowship with God our Creator (Acts 17:26-27), and this is only possible through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (John 14:6).

We are all born into this temporal world physically alive but spiritually unborn. This lifetime is our only opportunity to be spiritually “reborn” (John 3:3, 5-8) to eternal life by the “baptism” of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

If we seek first material security we will never obtain it because security always takes “just a little more” than what we have, and we will never get around to seeking God's eternal kingdom (Matthew 6:31-33).

God has always intended, from the very beginning of Creation, to establish an eternal kingdom of his people who willingly choose to trust and obey God. God has designed this Creation to allow the freedom to choose whether to trust and obey God or not, and the opportunity to learn by trial-and-error that God's way is our best interest. But God is not going to allow rebellion and disobedience forever, or at all in his eternal kingdom, or it wouldn't be heaven. So this Creation and we ourselves are limited by time.

When we're baptized into Jesus Christ, we're baptized into his death, so that we can also be raised with him to eternal life. We must spiritually crucify our worldly nature. As we begin to trust and obey Jesus, we are spiritually “reborn” to eternal life by the “baptism” of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Through obedience to the Holy Spirit within us we are being transformed into the likeness of God.

The true Church is the congregation of “born-again” disciples of Jesus Christ. What matters is that each believer is baptized with the Holy Spirit. Converted Jews have no advantage over converted gentiles. Circumcision and keeping of Jewish law is of no advantage; gentiles are not required to become “Jews.” Slavery was present in the first-century church and is still present in the world today. Slavery does not hinder salvation, and freedom is not more advantageous. In America history, some slaves were stronger believers than some free professing Christians.

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

---

*Scythians were foreign believers; barbarians were unconverted foreigners. We should have as much concern for the spiritually lost as for recent converts.

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Monday - 11 Pentecost - C
First Posted August 9, 2010;
Podcast: Monday - 11 Pentecost - C

Psalm 33 – Creator and Lord;

Paraphrase:

Let the righteous praise the Lord and rejoice in him. Sing praises to him with stringed instruments. Sing a new song to him loudly, with skillful accompaniment.

Upright is the Word of the Lord, and he is faithful in all his deeds. The Lord delights in righteousness and justice, and the earth is full of his steadfast love.

The heavens were made by the Word of God, and all the hosts of heaven were created by the breath of his mouth. As in a bottle, he restrained the seas, and stored the waters of the deeps as in a warehouse.

Fear the Lord, all the earth; be in awe of him, everyone. Everything has been created by his Word. The schemes of the nations come to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples. His counsel will stand forever; his thoughts to all generations. “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage (Psalm 33:12)!

From heaven, the Lord watches and sees everyone; he who created the hearts of mankind sees the deeds of all the inhabitants of earth. “ A king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not saved by his great strength. The war horse is a vain hope for victory, and by its great might it cannot save” (Psalm 33: 16-17).

Watch and see! The Lord watches over those who fear (have appropriate awe and respect for the power and authority of) him, who hope in his steadfast love. He watches over them to deliver their souls from death and preserve their lives in famine.

May our souls wait for the Lord, because he alone is our help and shield. Let our hearts be glad in him; let us trust in his holy name! Let the steadfast love of the Lord be upon us as we trust in him!

Commentary:

The righteous are those who believe in (trust and obey) Jesus. None of us are righteous by our own efforts, but we can have the righteousness of Jesus attributed to us by faith in him.

If we will read God's Word, in the Bible, we will discover that his Word is absolutely good. God's Word contains both great promises and awesome warnings. The warnings are intended for our good, also, to help us to avoid the consequences of disobedience of God's Word. We will either obey God's Word and receive the promises, or we will disobey and receive the consequences.

As we apply God's Word in our daily lives we will discover by experience that God's Word is absolutely true and reliable. The test of God's Word is its fulfillment: God's Word is always fulfilled (Deuteronomy 18:21-22); and because it is eternal, it is fulfilled over and over as the conditions for its fulfillment are met.

God's Word is powerful and active (Hebrews 4:12). He created these heavens and this earth by his Word; he commanded, and they were created. Jesus' word is the Word of God (John 14:10, 24), with the creative force of God's Word (Mark 4:39-41; Compare Genesis 1: 9). Jesus is the Word of God, fulfilled, embodied, and exemplified in this world in human flesh (John 1:1-5, 14).

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10a, Psalm 111:10). Anyone who doesn't fear the Lord, doesn't know anything important. They don't have a real understanding of the concepts of God and Lord and their relationship to him. Mankind's worldly wisdom changes; a recent example is the re-categorization of the planets in our solar system. God's wisdom is eternal and unchanging.

God knows each of us individually and personally. The meaning and purpose of life in this temporal world is to seek, find and know God, and this is only possible through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ, by the 'baptism” of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17).

Mankind's efforts to protect and save himself are ultimately futile and unsuccessful. Only the Lord can save and preserve us, and give us eternal life.

When we begin to trust and obey God's Word, in the Bible and in Jesus Christ, we will come to experience and know with certainty that the Lord's love is steadfast, and that his Word is absolutely faithful and true.

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Tuesday - 11 Pentecost - C
First Posted August 10, 2010;
Podcast: Tuesday - 11 Pentecost - C

Genesis 15:1-6 – The Covenant with Abraham;

Background:

God had promised to make a great nation from the descendants of Abraham (Abram; Genesis 12:1-3). Then Abraham had to rescue Lot, Abraham's nephew, and his household, who had been taken captive by Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, and his allies.

Paraphrase:

After this, the Lord appeared to Abraham in a vision. He told Abraham that the Lord was his protector, and that Abraham would be greatly rewarded. But Abraham asked what the Lord would give him, because Abraham continued to be childless and his Syrian steward, Abraham's slave, would be Abraham's heir. “The Word of the Lord came to him” (Genesis 15:4a), assuring Abraham that he would have a son who would be his heir, rather than the Syrian slave.

The Lord brought Abraham outside, during the night, and gave him a “visual aid.” The Lord told Abraham to look at the night sky and number the stars, if Abraham could. Then the Lord told Abraham that Abraham's descendants would be as innumerably vast as the stars of heaven. And Abraham believed the Lord, and the Lord accounted Abraham righteous.

Commentary:

In order to be the father of a great nation, Abraham had to have a son. God promised to give Abraham a son and heir, but it was a long time before the promise was fulfilled. Eventually Abraham and Sarah (Sarai) tried to help God fulfill his promise. Sarah gave her handmaid to Abraham as a concubine, so that they could have an heir through Hagar (Genesis 16:2). That turned out badly.

The Lord has given me several visual aids. I live in the migration route of the Bald and Golden Eagles. The Lord has shown me what it means to mount up with wings as eagles (Isaiah 40:31). The Lord has shown me the night sky when the stars were visible, at my home when the sky was clear, and on high mountains, when every star was visible.

The Lord accounts faith (obedient trust; in Jesus Christ) as righteousness (the judicial verdict of rightness and goodness, according to God's Word and judgment). Faith is not like wishing on a star. Faith is not like making a wish before blowing out birthday candles. Saving faith is not getting whatever we believe, if we believe “hard enough.” Saving faith is trusting and obeying Jesus as the one and only sacrifice acceptable to God for all time and all people who receive it by faith, for the forgiveness of sin (disobedience of God's Word).

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Wednesday- 11 Pentecost - C
First Posted August 11, 2010;
Podcast: Wednesday - 11 Pentecost - C

Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16 – Examples of Faith;

Paraphrase:

Faith is the assurance of our hopes; our certainty of things we can't yet see. The patriarchs received divine approval because they had faith [in God]. By faith we know that this world was created from “nothing,” by the Word of God.

By faith in God's Word, Abraham left his ancestral home to go to a new land he did not know, where God promised to give him an inheritance. He and his son and grandson lived in tents in the land he had been promised, like sojourners, not having received possession of it. But he focused on the promise of a city of buildings on foundations (unlike tents), which God would establish.

By faith, Sarah received the power to conceive after she was past child-bearing age, because she believed that God could fulfill what he promised. So from one man, close to the end of his life, descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven, or the grains of sand by the sea, were born.

All these believers died without having received what had been promised, but having seen and welcomed it from a distance, acknowledging that they were merely strangers and exiles in this world. Those who acknowledge this know that they are seeking a homeland. They could chose to return to the land which they had left, but they are clearly seeking a better land, a heavenly home. So God is pleased to be their God, and has a city prepared for them.

Commentary:

Faith is the assurance of our hope [of salvation and eternal life]. Faith is not getting whatever we want, if we believe “hard enough.” Faith is not like wishing on a star, or over birthday candles. Faith is obedient trust in God's Word, in the Bible, and in Jesus Christ, the fulfillment, embodiment and example of God's Word lived in this world in human flesh (John 1:1-5, 14).

Faith is the absolutely necessary requirement for a relationship with God our Creator. The “mustard seed” of faith (Matthew 13:31-32) is our “yes” to God's Word. He will take our “mustard seed” and cause it to be come a supernaturally large “tree” of spiritually mature faith.

As Abraham trusted and obeyed God's Word he learned that God is faithful and able to fulfill his promises, but that fulfillment is not immediate. We must endure and persevere. Abraham and Sarah waited a long time for the fulfillment of the promise of an heir, upon which the promise of God depended. Abraham never gained possession of the land which had been promised, but he saw and dwelt in it.

God's promise to Abraham was fulfilled. His descendants are innumerable. Abraham was the father of a great nation. He has entered the eternal city of God in heaven.

The meaning and purpose of life in this world is to seek, find, and have fellowship with God, our Creator (Acts 17:26-27), and this is only possible through Jesus Christ (John 14:6). This lifetime is our only opportunity to be spiritually “reborn” to eternal life (John 3:3, 5-8), and this is only possible by the “baptism” of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17).

The “baptism” of the indwelling Holy Spirit is a personally discernible, daily, ongoing experience (Acts 19:2). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

God's purpose has always been to establish an eternal kingdom of his people who willingly trust and obey Jesus. This lifetime is our opportunity to learn to trust and obey God, and to learn by trial-and-error that God's way is our best interest. God has given us the freedom to choose whether to live eternally with him, or not.

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Thursday -11 Pentecost - C
First Posted August 12, 2010;
Podcast: Thursday -11 Pentecost - C

Luke 12:32-40 -- Watchfulness;

Paraphrase:

Let us not fear, because it is God's pleasure to give us the kingdom of heaven. Let us sell excess possessions and give the proceeds to the poor. That way we will obtain purses that don't wear out, and will accumulate treasure in heaven, which won't fail, cannot be stolen, and where moth doesn't consume. Our hearts will be wherever our treasure is.

Let us be clothed, and with lamps lit, like servants awaiting their master's return from a marriage feast, ready to open the door at once when he knocks. Their master will treat them like guests and will come and serve them. If he comes between 9:00 pm. and 3:00 am., and finds them alert and prepared, they will be blessed. But remember that a householder, if he knew when a thief would come, would not let his house be broken into. Likewise, we must be ready all the time, because the Lord will return at an unexpected time.

Commentary:

God wants us to inherit eternal life in his heavenly kingdom. We don't have to worry about not making it. We just need to cooperate with his plan, which is Jesus Christ (see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, right).

Material possessions will not give us eternal security. They will only tie us down in this material world. God blesses us with everything that we truly need in this lifetime. The way to obtain eternal treasure is to share God's concern and our resources with the poor.

Jesus has promised to return at the end of the age, the end of time, the end of the age of grace (God's unmerited favor), to judge the living and the dead in both physical and spiritual senses (John 5:28-29). Those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord (boss), and have learned to trust and obey Jesus will enter eternal life in God's kingdom in heaven, paradise restored. Those who have refused to accept Jesus, who have not trusted and obeyed Jesus, will be condemned to eternal destruction, separated forever from the love and providence of God (Matthew 25:31-46).

Christ's return is imminent! No one knows the day or hour (Matthew 24:36). We are in the same situation today as the Jews were in the day of Christ's first coming. They were unprepared for his coming, and failed to receive him. Are we more ready than they?

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Friday - 11 Pentecost - C
First Posted August 13, 2010;
Podcast: Friday - 11 Pentecost - C

1 Corinthians 15:1-10 – Paul's Gospel;

Paraphrase:

Paul was reminding the Corinthian Christians of the basics of the Gospel which he had preached to them and which they received. By believing this Gospel, they were being saved (from God's eternal condemnation) if they held firmly to it. Otherwise their faith would have been in vain.

Paul had faithfully and accurately transmitted what he himself had received: In accordance with the scriptures, Jesus died for our sins and was buried, and in accordance with scripture (Isaiah 53:5-12), he was raised again on the third day (Psalm 16:10; Acts 2:31-32). He appeared to Cephas (Peter), then to the Twelve (original disciples), then to over five hundred brethren (believers) at one time, most of whom were still alive at the time of Paul's writing, although some had died. Then he appeared to James, Jesus' brother (Galatians 1:19), then to all the apostles (messengers of the Gospel; the Twelve) and lastly he appeared to Paul, who considered himself as having been born late, (spiritually, since he apparently hadn't known Jesus during Jesus' physical life and ministry). Paul considered himself the unworthy and least of the Apostles because he had formerly persecuted the Church. But by God's grace (unmerited favor) Paul had become an Apostle (equal to the Twelve), and Paul had made the most of God's grace in preaching the Gospel. Paul worked harder than the other Apostles, but what he accomplished was not by his own ability, but by the grace of God. So it was not important who preached the Gospel, but that it was preached, and that as the result the people had believed.

Commentary:

The Gospel in a “nutshell,” in its most basic elements, is that Jesus died for our sins, so that we wouldn't have to die for them eternally ourselves. Jesus became the only sacrifice acceptable to God for the forgiveness of sin, to be received by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus (see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, right).

Jesus died physically on the cross. The Roman soldiers made sure, by piercing Jesus' side with a spear (John 19:34).

Jesus arose from physical death to eternal life on the third day. This was witnessed by and attested to by his disciples and over five hundred eyewitnesses, most of whom were still alive at the time of Paul's letter. In Jewish Law, testimony needs only to be confirmed by two or three witnesses.

Paul is deliberately intended by God to be the prototype and example of a modern, post-resurrection, “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) disciple and apostle of Jesus Christ, as we can and should be. God deliberately intended Paul to be the replacement for Judas, one of the Twelve, Jesus' betrayer.

Paul (Saul of Tarsus) was on the road to Damascus to persecute Christians when he was confronted by the risen and ascended Jesus (Acts 9:1-22). Paul repented (Acts 9:9), accepted Jesus as Lord (Acts 9:5), was discipled by a born-again disciple, Ananias (Acts 9:10) until Paul received the indwelling Holy Spirit (Acts 9:17-18), and then Paul immediately began to preach the Gospel (Acts 9:20-22).

Paul didn't have or need the approval of the Eleven Apostles in Jerusalem. Years later, when he went to Jerusalem and met with them they accepted him as a fellow apostle (Acts 15:1-29). Paul hadn't received this Gospel from men, but directly from Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:11-12).

There were false teachers in the first-century church who denied Jesus' death and resurrection and this heresy is still circulating in the nominal Church today. Paul and every truly born-again Christian since personally testifies that Jesus is eternally alive. We have personal, daily fellowship with him through the “baptism” of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a personally discernible, daily, ongoing experience (Act 19:2). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

God has been progressively revealing his purpose for Creation through his Word, the Bible scriptures, and through Jesus Christ, the “living Word” (John 1:1-5, 14). God taught the Israelites to recognize sin (disobedience of God's Word) through the giving of the Law to Moses (The Ten Commandments), and taught that the only forgiveness of sin is through the shedding of blood (Hebrews 9:22).

God taught the Israelites the commemoration of Passover, where a perfect, unblemished lamb was sacrificed. The lamb provided the flesh for the Passover feast, and the blood of the lamb marked the houses of the Israelites to be “passed over” by the destroying angel. The Passover marked the release of the Israelites from sin and death in Egypt.

The Passover Feast pointed to the promised Messiah (Christ; God's “anointed” Savior). Jesus became the lamb of the “New Passover,” which he initiated in the “Last Supper” on the eve of his crucifixion. His flesh is the “bread of eternal life,” the main course of the New Passover feast, and his blood marks believers to be passed over by the destroyer in the Day of Judgment. Jesus became the only sacrifice acceptable to God for the forgiveness of sin and salvation from eternal condemnation, to be received by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus.

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Saturday - 11 Pentecost - C
First Posted August 14, 2010;
Podcast: Saturday - 11 Pentecost - C

Luke 18:9-14 – Pharisee and Tax Collector;

Paraphrase:

Jesus told a parable (a fictional story of common earthly experience used to teach spiritual truth) of a Pharisee and a tax collector, who both went into the temple separately to pray. “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself” (Luke 18:11), saying that he thanked God that he was unlike other people, including the tax collector nearby. He was pleased that he fasted twice a week, and tithed (gave ten percent) of all that he received.

The tax collector stood far off and wouldn't even lift his face toward heaven. He beat his breast, acknowledged that he was a sinner, and asked for God's mercy. Jesus declared that the tax collector went home justified (judged right with God), unlike the Pharisee, because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and everyone who humbles himself will be exalted.

Commentary:

We are all sinners (disobedient of God's Word) and fall short of God's righteousness (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10), and the penalty for sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23). Jesus is God's one and only provision for our forgiveness and salvation (Romans 5:8; see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, right), designed into Creation from the very beginning (John 1:1-5, 14).

There are two kinds of people in this world: Those who think they're righteous, and those who know they're sinners. Jesus came to save sinners. He cannot save those who think they're righteous, because one must first acknowledge one's sin and one's need for forgiveness and salvation.

The Pharisee prayed with himself. God is not obligated to hear and answer prayer, if we are not committed to trust and obey his Word (see Conditions for Answered Prayer, sidebar right). The Pharisee had the outward appearance of obedience, but not the inner commitment. The Pharisee fasted and tithed, and went to the temple to be seen praying, but he had no love and concern for others, including the tax collector.

The Law was given to Moses to teach the Israelites what God required in order to be judged right with God. The record of Israel's lack of ability to fulfill the requirements of the Law demonstrated that it is impossible to keep all God's Law all the time (James 2:10; Galatians 2:16). Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant of grace (unmerited favor) which makes it possible for us to be accounted righteous through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus; it is not our own righteousness but the righteousness of Christ attributed to us by faith (Romans 3:22-24; Philippians 3:9).

If we knew God's nature in comparison to ourselves, we would not be inclined to exalt ourselves. The original sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden was to want to be like God (Genesis 3:5b). That is our problem today: we want to be our own god, not submit to another.

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Week of 10 Pentecost - C - August 1 - 7, 2010

Week of 10 Pentecost - C

This is a Three-Year Lectionary based on the Lutheran Book of Worship 3-year Lectionary (for public worship), "Prayers of the Day..." (Propers), p. 13-41, Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, 1978. It is based, with only minor variations, on the Revised Common Lectionary, used by many denominations, including the Episcopal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Methodist churches:

http://www.commontexts.org/

and:

http://www.commontexts.org/rcl/usage.html

The daily readings are the Propers (Lections) for the following Sunday, so that the daily devotions can prepare us for worship. Additional Lections are from Common Service Book of the Lutheran Church, "Scripture lessons for Matins and Vespers," United Lutheran Church of America, General Rubrics VIII. Scripture lessons for Matins and Vespers, p. 299 - 304, Philadelphia, 1918.

The previous 2- year Bible Study based on the Lutheran Book of Worship, Daily Lectionary for personal devotions p.179-192, Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, 1978, is available at:

http://shepboy.snow.prohosting.com (Please bookmark this link).

Journalspace.com, my former 'blog host is being reorganized under new ownership. I no longer publish there. I have also lost mypodcast.com, my podcast host. This 'blog is mirrored at:

http://shepboy.multiply.com/

.mp3 Podcasts via Linux Festival text-to-speech and Panopreter Basic text-to-speech are available at:

http://shepboy.snow.prohosting.com/dw_bible2/C%20Year/wklx_c.html

Please Note: I will post weekly by Saturday, noon, (God willing), Pacific time (UTC-8:00) for the week of the Church Season which begins on Sunday. Please scroll down for the desired day, or save the week to your desktop/hard drive.

This entry is a test incorporating the texts with the citations, useful, I hope, to readers, and particularly valuable to podcast listeners.

Podcast Download: Week of 10 Pentecost C
Sunday - 10 Pentecost C
First Posted August 1, 2010;
Podcast: Sunday 10 Pentecost C

Genesis 18:20-32 – Abraham Intercedes for Sodom;
Psalm 138 – Deliverance from Trouble;
Colossians 2:6-15 – Warning Against False Teachings;
Luke 11:1-13 – The Disciples' Prayer;

Genesis18:20-32 Paraphrase:

The Lord had appeared to Abraham (Abram) at Mamre (near Hebron) as three persons. As they departed, the Lord revealed that he was on his way to see if Sodom was as wicked as the reports the Lord had heard said. But Abraham interceded, suggesting that the Lord should not destroy the righteous with the wicked. He asked the Lord if he would spare Sodom if there were fifty righteous people found there and the Lord promised to spare the city for the sake of fifty righteous. Then Abraham “bid down” the number of righteous, until the Lord promised to spare the city for the sake of ten righteous people.

Psalm 138 Paraphrase:

With my whole heart, I will give thanks to the Lord! I will praise the Lord above all other so-called “gods.” Toward his temple I bow down and give thanks to his name (his total person and character) for his steadfast love and faithfulness, because he has exalted his name and his Word above all else. When the psalmist (David; the great human shepherd-king of Israel) called the Lord heard and answered his prayer. The Lord increased his spiritual strength.

All the rulers of earth will praise the Lord, for they have heard his Word. They will sing aloud of the Lord's ways, because the Lord's glory is great. Although the Lord is great, he has regard for the lowly; but is far from the proud.

The Lord preserves my life in the midst of trouble. His right hand (Jesus) delivers me from the wrath of my enemies. “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me” (Psalm 138:8a). The Lord's steadfast love is eternal. He will not forsake what he has created.

Colossians 2:6-15 Paraphrase:

As we have received Christ, therefore let us live according to his teachings. Let us take root, and grow to maturity and a solid foundation in faith, as we have been taught (in the Bible and in the Holy Spirit), overflowing with thanksgiving.

“See to it that no one makes a prey of you by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fulness of deity dwells bodily” (Colossians 2:8-9). We (who are “born-again” Christian disciples) have come to fulness of life in Jesus, who is the ruler above all powers and authority. We were “circumcised” into him with a spiritual circumcision, by the removal of our fleshly nature by the “circumcision” of Christ. In Christian (water) Baptism we were buried with Christ, so that we might also be raised with him through faith in God's power. When we were spiritually dead through sin and the “uncircumcision” of our “flesh,” God has given us spiritual rebirth and eternal life with him, having forgiven all our sins. He canceled the warrant against us which demanded our spiritual eternal death. He set aside that warrant, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and powers of this world at the cross of Jesus Christ, making a public example of them and triumphing over them.

Luke 11:1-13 Paraphrase:

Jesus went away from the crowds to a place where he could pray, and when he ended his prayers, his disciples asked him to teach them how to pray, as John the baptizer had taught John's disciples. So Jesus told them that when they prayed they should say:

“Father, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread; and forgive our sins, for we ourselves forgive every one who is indebted to us; and lead us not into temptation” (Luke 11:2b-4; compare Matthew 6:9-13).

Then Jesus told a parable of an unexpected guest: A person had an unexpected guest, so he went to his friend to borrow three loaves of bread. The friend had gone to bed and didn't want to get up and help his friend, but the host persisted until his friend did what he requested, not out of friendship, but to be rid of the annoyance.

Jesus told his disciples, “Ask, and it will be give you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Luke 11:9). Jesus assured them that all who persist will be satisfied. Earthly fathers don't give their children evil when they ask for what they truly need. Likewise our heavenly father will give us the ultimate good and necessary gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit if we ask him with persistence.

Commentary:

Abraham's (nephew, Lot, and Lot's household were living in Sodom, so Abraham had a personal stake in what happened to Sodom (Genesis 13:8-12). The Lord kept his promise to Abraham; he destroyed Sodom, but he preserved Lot (Genesis 19:15-23).

I personally testify with Biblical King David, my namesake, that when I cried to the Lord he heard and answered my prayer. God is faithful and abundantly able; he will hear and answer anyone who calls to him in sincerity and truth (see Conditions for Answered Prayer; sidebar, right). Be advised that the Lord is inclined toward the humble. Anyone who approaches him in a proud and haughty attitude doesn't understand his relationship to God. Anyone who understands the nature and character of God cannot be anything other than humble in his presence.

I personally testify that the Lord has preserved my eternal life in the midst of great trouble on numerous occasions. He can show us that he is able to deliver us from the power and wrath of our enemies. The Lord doesn't ever give up on us!

A Christian is by definition a disciple of Jesus Christ (Acts 11:26c), who has been “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) by the “baptism” of the indwelling Holy Spirit which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

The indwelling Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ within us (Romans 8:9). By the indwelling Holy Spirit we have a daily (hourly) personal fellowship with God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. When we accept Jesus as Lord, we need to be “discipled” by born-again disciples until we are “baptized” with the indwelling Holy Spirit. Then the Holy Spirit will disciple us to spiritual maturity. Being born-again is not the end of the process but just the beginning!

There are many false “christs,” false prophets, and false teachers and teachings in the world and even within the nominal Church today (see False Teachings, sidebar, right). There are people who will come to your door and tell you that Jesus isn't God (compare John 20:28). Colossians 2:8-9 is a good reference to refute them.

False teachings have existed since the beginning of the Church in the First Century A.D., and are refuted in the New Testament of the Bible. One must read the entire Bible in order to be protected from false teaching. Reading the Bible does not require arduous effort or formal study. A simple reading will suffice to show us what it does and doesn't contain. When we have read it the Holy Spirit can recall it to our memory as needed. The average reader can easily read the entire Bible in one year and there are numerous plans available (see Free Bible Study Tools, sidebar, right).

What is called The Lord's Prayer should be thought of as The Disciples' Prayer. It was given by the Lord to his disciples. It must be prayed by a disciple in order to be effective (see Conditions for Answered Prayer, sidebar, right). A disciple's prayer will be for God's name to be hallowed and his kingdom to fully come to us individually and personally as soon as possible.

Discipleship is learning to wait for God to provide every truly necessary thing for us one day at a time. When we realize and acknowledge how greatly we need God's forgiveness, we will be glad to forgive others as we have experienced forgiveness. We will learn by experience that we can depend on the Lord to deliver us from temptation (and deliver us from evil).

The Lord is a better Father than any earthly father can be. He wants to give us the best we can have. But we must learn to wait upon him. This is difficult in society today when we have come to expect instant gratification.

The Lord wants us to learn to wait for him, because he wants to be sure that we are committed to obedient trust in him only! There are many precious promises in the Bible, which can only be received by faith which is obedient, trusting, and persistent.

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Monday - 10 Pentecost C
First Posted August 2, 2010;
Podcast: Monday 10 Pentecost C

Psalm 49:1-11 – The Folly of Riches;

Paraphrase:

Listen, everyone! Let all the people of earth hear: both high and low; rich and poor! I will speak wisdom; what I have meditated upon in my heart is understanding. I will listen to a proverb, and solve a riddle with the music of a harp.

I will not yield to fear when the evil of my persecutors surround me; those who trust in wealth and riches. No one is able to pay to God the ransom for his life, so as to continue to live on forever, and never see the grave, because it is costly and beyond price. No one can afford it.

Yes, even those who are wise will die, along with the foolish and stupid, leaving their wealth to others. Their graves will be their eternal homes; their dwellings throughout all generation, though lands have been named for them. The pomp of man does not abide; like a beast he perishes.

Those who have foolish confidence and are pleased with what they have accomplished will end thus: As sheep, appointed to the grave; their shepherd shall be [eternal] death. They will descend straight into the grave, where their bodies will rot; they will dwell eternally in the kingdom of death. But my eternal being will be ransomed from the power of eternal death by God, who will receive me [into his eternal kingdom].

Don't fear anyone who becomes rich and gains glory; he will not take any riches or glory with him when dies. He may consider himself happy while he has physical life, and he may be praised for his worldly accomplishments, but when he dies he will join his ancestors and never more see light. The exultation of mankind does not abide forever; when he dies, he is no better than a dead animal.

Commentary:

We are all eternal beings in temporal bodies. This lifetime is our only opportunity to be spiritually reborn (John 3:3, 5-8) to eternal life, and this is only possible through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ, by the “baptism” of the indwelling Holy Spirit which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is a personally discernible ongoing daily event (Acts 19:2). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

There is nothing we can do in this lifetime to secure eternal life for ourselves in God's kingdom, restored to perfect paradise, in heaven, except by receiving Jesus as our Lord and Savior through faith. What would eternal life in paradise be worth? More than everything we have! But eternal life cannot be bought, stolen, or taken by force or deception.

Wise or foolish, rich or poor, we will all perish eternally unless we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. And Jesus' Lordship is not hard or unpleasant; it is wonderful! We don't know what we want; we don't know what is our best interest. Only in Jesus can we find what is really and truly life!

Imagine being the most wealthy and powerful of people in this world. One may be happy for a time, but imagine, when physical life ends, being in a physical body which is going to decay, but whose soul will go on eternally, forever separated from God and every good thing, which God alone can provide, knowing that one could have had eternal life in paradise restored in heaven with God and everything good.

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Tuesday - 10 Pentecost C
First Posted August 3, 2010;

Podcast: Tuesday 10 Pentecost C

Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:18-26 – All is Vanity;

Paraphrase:

Everything we do in this lifetime is vanity: insubstantial and fleeting.

We labor to the point of exhaustion, only to leave the fruit of our labor to the people who come after us. And who knows if they will be wise or foolish. But they will own all that we labored for and used our wisdom to create. So all that we strive for is vanity. It is easy to despair over our hard work, knowing that we must sometimes leave work we have accomplished with wisdom, knowledge and skill to a person, who has not worked for it, to enjoy. That is vanity and very wrong. What does a person have to show for his toil and strain in this world? His days are filled with pain and vexation; he can't even find rest at night. It is all vanity.

The best a person can hope for is to enjoy food and drink and enjoy his work. This is a gift from God, because who can have enjoyment apart from God? To those who please God, he gives wisdom, knowledge and joy, but he gives sinners the work of gathering and accumulating, only to be given to those who please God. This is vanity, and like trying to catch the wind.

Commentary:

I believe that the meaning and purpose of life in this world is to seek, find, and have fellowship with God (Acts 17:26-27), and this only possible through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus (John 14:6) by the “baptism” of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples to trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17; see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, right).

So many people in the world today are pursuing the wrong goals. They're seeking security and satisfaction in physical things, and completely neglecting their spiritual needs.

I personally testify that in the thirty years since I accepted Jesus as my Lord and was “born-again” the Lord has provided for me abundantly beyond worldly expectations, and I have found meaning and purpose in life that I didn't have before. I have security that money can't buy and that worldly labor cannot provide (see Personal Testimonies, sidebar, right).

We're all eternal beings in physical bodies. Our physical bodies wear out and pass away, but our souls will continue to exist for eternity. The question is: Where will we spend eternity?

This lifetime is our only opportunity to be spiritually “born-again” to eternal life by the baptism of the indwelling Holy Spirit. We will either live eternally with God in his kingdom in Heaven, or we will spend eternity dying in Hell with all evil, separated forever from God who is the source of every good thing.

Born-again Christians know with certainty where they will spend eternity by the testimony of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16). The only people who don't know if there is existence after physical death are those who are spiritually “lost” and dying eternally.

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Wednesday - 10 Pentecost C
First Posted August 4, 2010;
Podcast: Wednesday 10 Pentecost C

Colossians 3:1-11 – New Life in Christ;

Paraphrase:

Born-again (John 3:3, 5-8) Christians have been buried with Christ in water baptism and raised to new, eternal life, through the “baptism” of the indwelling Holy Spirit. So we are to live according to the new life we have in God's eternal kingdom. So we must no longer focus on worldly things, but spiritual things. We must regard ourselves as dead to the world; and our new lives are hidden in Christ, to be revealed when Christ returns.

So let us crucify what is earthly in us: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, covetousness, which is a form of idolatry. The wrath of God is coming upon those who practice such things. We once did such things when we lived according to our physical nature, but now we do away with these things. We must no longer practice anger, wrath, slander and vulgar talk. We must not lie to one another. We are to live according to our new spiritual nature, being transformed in knowledge according to the nature of our Creator. In this new life we must no longer make distinctions between Jew and Greek, circumcised and uncircumcised, or based on race or nationality, slave or free. What matters is that Christ is central, and within all.

Commentary:

I believe, based on my own personal experience, that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is not automatically conferred at water baptism. I believe that the Church is the heir to the ministry of the water baptism of John the Baptizer (Matthew 3:1-3). The Church is to call people to repent and turn to the Lord in obedient trust, to prepare to receive Jesus in the baptism of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

I understand water baptism as a covenant between God and the candidate. As the candidate begins to live in obedient trust in Jesus' teachings, God is faithful and will give the gift (baptism) of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 14:15-17).

The baptism of the indwelling Holy Spirit is our spiritual rebirth, our “resurrection” from spiritual death to eternal life, and it begins now in this lifetime, as we begin to live as citizens of God's eternal kingdom. The kingdom of God is all around us now, but it is only spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:14), by those who have been spiritually reborn.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a personally discernible, daily, ongoing event (Acts 19:2). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16). By the testimony of the Holy Spirit within us we can be certain that the Lord will raise us from physical death to eternal life in God's kingdom in Heaven.

As we begin to live in obedient trust in Jesus, the baptism of the Holy Spirit will open our minds to understand the Bible Scriptures (Luke 24:45; the risen Jesus: Romans 8:9), and will guide us to know and do God's will (John 14:26; 16:13). When we have opportunities to testify to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit will give us what to say at the moment it is needed (Mark 13:11; Luke 12:11-12), and I personally attest to this truth. As we make an effort to put away the tendencies of our physical nature, the Holy Spirit will transform us into the image of our Creator.

The indwelling Holy Spirit in born-again Christians is the basis of unity in the true Church. In the nominal Church, there are un-reborn, nominal Christians also, which is the basis of disunity within the nominal Church.

Unfortunately, in too many instances, the nominal Church has failed to make born-again disciples. In some instances, the nominal Church discourages members from seeking spiritual rebirth by teaching that the Holy Spirit is conferred automatically at water baptism (see False Teachings, sidebar, right).

Unless the Church makes born-again disciples there won't be any born-again leaders. It takes born-again leaders to make born-again disciples. The distinction which matters is spiritual rebirth.

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Thursday - 10 Pentecost C
First Posted August 5, 2010;
Podcast: Thursday 10 Pentecost C

Luke 12:13-21 – The Rich Fool;

Paraphrase:

One, in the crowd gathered around Jesus, asked him to tell the person's brother to share his inheritance with the person. But Jesus asked the person why he thought Jesus should be a judge between the person and his brother. Jesus warned that it isn't the abundance of one's possessions that makes one's life meaningful; we must be careful to avoid covetousness (a form of idolatry of possessions).

Jesus told the crowd a parable: A rich man's land produced abundantly, and the rich man realized that he needed a bigger barn to store his crops. He decided to tear down his barn and build a bigger one. Then he thought that with enough stored to last many years, he would be able to relax and “eat, drink and be merry.” But God called him a fool. The man would die that very night and someone else would enjoy his possessions. This is the fate of those who rely on material possessions and do not seek the spiritual riches only God can provide.

Commentary:

Human nature hasn't changed since the time of Jesus' physical ministry. Love of material possessions is a prevalent idolatry today.

The only real security to be found in this world is in God through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ. Jesus taught that we should seek first God's kingdom and righteousness, and all the material necessities would be ours as well (Matthew 6:33). If we seek security through material possessions, we will never have security, because security always requires just a little more than we have, and we'll never get around to seeking God's kingdom.

I assert that the meaning and purpose of life in this world is to seek, find, and have fellowship with God, our Creator (Acts 17:26-27), and this is only possible through Jesus Christ (John 14:6). This lifetime is our only opportunity to be spiritually “reborn” (John 3:3, 5-8) to eternal life by the “baptism” of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

Wouldn't it be terrible to waste this lifetime accumulating material possessions which will be of no use to us in eternity, and miss the opportunity to be spiritually “born-again” to eternal life in God's kingdom in paradise in Heaven?

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Friday - 10 Pentecost C
First Posted August 6, 2010;
Podcast: Friday 10 Pentecost C

1 Corinthians 12:1-11 – Spiritual Gifts;

Paraphrase:

Paul wanted the Corinthian Christians (and all believers) to be informed about spiritual gifts. Before we accepted Jesus as Lord, we were going astray after idols, although we probably were emotionally moved by them. So we should know that one can't be motivated by the Holy Spirit to curse Jesus, and no one can truly praise Jesus as Lord except by the Holy Spirit (compare Romans 8:15-16; Galatians 4:6).

The one and only Holy Spirit gives a variety of spiritual gifts. There are a variety of ways to serve, but only one Lord. There are a variety of deeds inspired by one God (note the suggestion of the Trinity: God, Lord, and Holy Spirit). Each believer is given a manifestation of the Holy Spirit for the benefit of the congregation. Some speak wisdom, some are given knowledge, some are given faith, some are given the ability to heal, some are given the ability to work miracles, to some, prophecy, to some, the ability to distinguish between spirits, the ability to speak in tongues, or the ability to interpret tongues. These are all guided and empowered by the one Spirit, according to his will and purpose.

Commentary:

Some congregations emphasize seeking, to discover spiritual gifts. Other congregations make no mention of spiritual gifts. Some churches are led by “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) leaders, and some are led by “unregenerate” (not born-again) leaders.

I think there is a right way and a wrong way to try to identify spiritual gifts. Using a spiritual “self-help” type book or program, seems to me like Abraham (Abram) taking his wife's maidservant to “help” God fulfill his promise of a son and heir for Abraham (Genesis 16:1-6).

The right way, in my experience, is to begin to seek God's will, one day at a time (Matthew 6:11), by daily Bible reading with prayer and meditation. As we do so, God will begin to reveal his will for us daily. Faith (obedient trust) involves discipleship and spiritual growth. God is not going to reveal his ultimate will for our life's work immediately. We have to learn to hear and do his will in small steps.

When God reveals a ministry for us, he provides the resources necessary to accomplish that ministry. When I started out, I felt led to Social Ministry (concern for the poor) within my congregation as an outreach into the community. God made it possible for me to be the chairman, and gave me the knowledge, wisdom and resources to accomplish that ministry.

But that wasn't my life's work. God closed the window of that opportunity, but opened the door to evangelism as an inreach into the congregation, and an outreach into the community. I became the evangelism chairman. He gave me the opportunities and the resources to accomplish that ministry.

When that opportunity closed, he opened others sequentially. Most recently he allowed me to discover the opportunity for my online Bible Study. I prayed for his permission to proceed and and he approved and provided the resources to accomplish it. I have resources to continue with another three or four years, but it is not certain that I will. It depends God's leading.

Believers should be aware that the motivation of the Holy Spirit is more than just an emotional high. We can get ecstatic at sports events, but that is not like the “anointing” of the Holy Spirit. Some church leaders think of themselves as “cheerleaders” (“Gimme a 'J'...”). That's not the anointing of the Holy Spirit. It seems to me that people can profess Jesus as Lord, without actually having been spiritually “reborn,” but their profession lacks spiritual power to to convict and change people's hearts.

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Saturday - 10 Pentecost C
First Posted August 7, 2010;
Podcast: Saturday 10 Pentecost C

Luke 19:41-48 – Cleansing the Temple;

Background:

Jesus rode to Jerusalem from Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives on a donkey with the crowd following him cheering and rejoicing in the procession the Church commemorates on Palm Sunday (Luke 19:28-40).

Luke Paraphrase:

As Jesus approached Jerusalem, he wept over it and declared that he wished they had known what things to do to have peace. But now those things had been hidden from their perception. Jesus prophesied that the day would come when her enemies would surround and lay siege to Jerusalem. They would dash the city and its people to the ground and leave her buildings in ruins because Jerusalem had not recognized the coming of her Messiah (Christ).

The first thing Jesus did on entering Jerusalem was to cleanse the temple of the secular corruption that had been allowed there.

Commentary:

That prophecy was fulfilled in 70 A.D., when the Roman Armies destroyed Jerusalem and the temple, many Jews were slaughtered, and the survivors were scattered throughout the world. The Nation of Israel ceased to exist, until reestablished following World War II.

The temple has never been rebuilt. Judaism effectively ended at the cross of Jesus, when the veil of the temple, separating the Holy-of-holies, where the presence of God resided, was torn from top to bottom (Luke 23:45), symbolizing that Jesus had opened a new and better way into God's presence.

The temple sacrificial system of the Old Covenant of Law is no longer in effect; Jesus' sacrificial death on the Cross is the one and only sacrifice acceptable to God, consecrating the New Covenant of Grace (unmerited favor; a free gift) to be received by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus. The only way to have peace with God is by the blood sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross; otherwise we are under God's eternal condemnation because of sin (see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar right).

The Jews and their leaders knew the Old Testament Scriptures prophesying the Messiah, and had seen Jesus fulfill those prophecies but still refused to believe. Judaism had become “their” religion; they practiced it to their own advantage and interpretation. Instead of serving and pleasing God they attempted to use their religion to manipulate God to serve and please them.

I'm convinced that America and other nominally “Christian” nations, and the Church, particularly in America today are in the same position as Israel and Judaism at the time of Jesus' first coming. In too many instances church leaders see the Church as their personal empires, and members see Church as a way to manipulate God's favor and protection. Will we be any more ready and able to recognize Jesus' Second Coming than Israel and Judaism at his first coming?

Jesus is going to begin Judgment with the Church, and if the Church needs chastisement, what will be the consequence of Judgment upon unbelievers (1 Peter 4:17-18)?

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?